history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第5节

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s；　and　very　little　fame：honors　and　riches　rain　on　me；　at　last；　for　a　Farce　of　the　Fair〃　（　OEuvres；　　ii。　151）。　The　〃Farce〃　（which　by　no　means　CALLED　itself　such）　was　PRINCESSE　DE　NAVARRE　（　OEuvres；　　lxxiii。　251）：　first　acted　23d　February；　1745；　Day　of　the　Wedding。　Gentlemanship　of　the　Chamber　thereupon　（which　Voltaire；　by　permission；　sold；　shortly　after；　for　2；500　pounds；　with　titles　retained）；　and　appointment　as　Historiographer　Royal。　Poor　Dauphiness　did　not　live　long；　Louis　XVI。's　Mother　was　a　SECOND　Wife；　Saxon…Polish　Majesty's　Daughter。＇　Yes；　my　friend；　it　is　a　considerable　ass；　this　world；　by　no　means　the　Perfectly　Wise　put　at　the　top　of　it　（as　one　could　wish）；　and　the　Perfectly　Foolish　at　the　bottom。　Witnessnay；　witness　Psyche　Pompadour　herself；　is　not　she　an　emblem！　Take　your　luck　without　criticism；　luck　good　and　bad　visits　all。

2。　AND　GOT　INTO　THE　ACADEMY　NEXT　YEAR；　IN　CONSEQUENCE。　In　1746；　the　Academy　itself；　Pompadour　favoring；　is　made　willing；　Voltaire　sees　himself　among　the　Forty：　soul；　on　that　side　too；　be　at　ease；　and　hunger　not　nor　thirst　anymore。　＇〃May　9th；　1746；　Voltaire　is　received　at　the　Academy；　and　makes　a　very　fine　Discourse〃　（BARBIER；　ii。　488）。　　OEuvres　de　Voltaire；　　lxxiii。　355；　385；　and　i。　97。＇　This　highest　of　felicities　could　not　be　achieved　without　an　ugly　accompaniment　from　the　surrounding　Populace。　Desfontaines　is　dead；　safe　down　in　Sodom；　but　wants　not　for　a　successor；　for　a　whole　Doggery　of　such。　Who　are　all　awake；　and　giving　tongue　on　this　occasion。　There　is　M。　Roi　the　〃Poet；〃　as　he　was　then　reckoned；　jingling　Roi；　who　concocts　satirical　calumnies；　who　collects　old　ones；　reprints　the　same；and　sends　Travenol；　an　Opera…Fiddler；　to　vend　them。　From　which　sprang　a　Lawsuit；　PROCES…　TRAVENOL；　of　famous　melancholy　sort。　As　Voltaire　had　rather　the　habit　of　such　sad　melancholy　Lawsuits；　we　will　pause　on　this　of　Travenol　for　a　moment：

3。　SUMMARY　OF　TRAVENOL　LAWSUIT。　〃Monday；　9th　May；　1746；　was　the　Day　or　reception　at　the　Academy；　reception　and　fruition；　thrice…savory　to　Voltaire。　But　what　an　explosion　of　the　Doggeries；　before；　during　and　after　that　event！　Voltaire　had　tried　to　be　prudent；　too。　He　had　been　corresponding　with　Popes；　with　Cardinals；　and；　in　a　fine　frank…looking　way；　capturing　their　suffrages：not　by　lying；　which　in　general　he　wishes　to　avoid；　but　by　speaking　half　the　truth；　in　short；　by　advancing；　in　a　dexterous；　diplomatic　way；　the　uncloven　foot；　in　those　Vatican　precincts。　And　had　got　the　Holy　Father's　own　suffrage　for　MAHOMET　（think　of　that；　you　Ass　of　Mirepoix！）；　among　other　cases　that　might　rise。　When　this　seat　among　the　Forty　fell　vacant；　his　very　first　measuremark　it；　Orthodox　readerwas　a　Letter　to　the　Chief　Jesuit；　Father　Latour；　Head　of　one's　old　College　of　Louis　le　Grand。　A　Letter　of　fine　filial　tenor：　'My　excellent　old　Schoolmasters；　to　whom　I　owe　everything；　the　representatives　of　learning；　of　decorum；　of　frugality　and　modest　human　virtue：in　what　contrast　to　the　obscure　Doggeries　poaching　about　in　the　street…gutters；　and　flying　at　the　peaceable　passenger！'　＇In　　Voltairiana；　ou　Eloges　Amphigouriques；　　&c。　（Paris；　1748）；　i。　150…160；　the　LETTER　itself；　〃Paris；　7th　February；　1746；〃　omitted　（without　need　or　real　cause　on　any　side）　in　the　common　Collections　of　　OEuvres　de　Voltaire。　＇　Which　captivated　Father　Latour；　and　made　matters　smooth　on　that　side；　so　that　even　the　ANCIEN　DE　MIREPOIX　said　nothing；　this　time：　What　could　he　say？　No　cloven　foot　visible；　and　the　Authorities　strong。　　

〃Voltaire　had　started　as　Candidate　with　these　judicious　preliminaries。　Voltaire　was　elected；　as　we　saw；　fine　Discourse；　9th　May；　and　on　the　Official　side　all　things　comfortable。　But；　in　the　mean　while；　the　Doggeries；　as　natural；　seeing　the　thing　now　likely；　had　risen　to　a　never…imagined　pitch；　and　had　filled　Paris；　and；　to　Voltaire's　excruciated　sense；　the　Universe；　with　their　howlings　and　their　hyena…laughter；　with　their　pasquils；　satires；　old　and　new。　So　that　Voltaire　could　not　stand　it；　and；　in　evil　hour；　rushed　downstairs　upon　them；　seized　one　poor　dog；　Travenol；　unknown　to　him　as　Fiddler　or　otherwise；　pinioned　Dog　Travenol；　with　pincers；　by　the　ears；　him　for　one；proper　Police…pincers；　for　we　are　now　well　at　Court；and　had　a　momentary　joy！　And；　alas；　this　was　not　the　right　dog；　this；　we　say；　was　Travenol　a　Fiddler　at　the　Opera；　who；　except　the　street…noises；　knew　nothing　of　Voltaire；　much　less　had　the　least　pique　at　him；　but　had　taken　to　hawking　certain　Pasquils　（Jingler　Roi's　COLLECTION；　it　appears）；　to　turn　a　desirable　penny　by　them。

〃And　mistakes　were　made　in　the　Affair　Travenol；old　FATHER　Travenol　haled　to　prison；　instead　of　Son；by　the　Lieutenant　of　Police　and　his　people。　And　Voltaire　took　the　high…hand　method　（being　well　at　Court）：and　thereupon　hungry　Advocates　took　up　Dog　Travenol　and　his　pincered　ears：　'Serene　Judges　of　the　Chatelet；　Most　Christian　Populace　of　Paris；　did　you　ever　see　a　Dog　so　pincered　by　an　Academical　Gentleman　before；　merely　for　being　hungry？'　And　Voltaire；　getting　madder　and　madder；　appealed　to　the　Academy　（which　would　not　interfere）；　filed　Criminal　Informations；　appealed　to　the　Chatelet；　to　the　Courts　above　and　to　the　Courts　below；　and；　for　almost　a　year；　there　went　on　the　'PROCES…TRAVENOL：'　＇About　Mayday；　1746；　Seizure　of　Travenol；　Pleadings　are　in　vigor　August；　1746；　not　done　April；　1747。　In　　Voltairiana；　　ii。　141…206；　Pleadings；　&c。；　copiously　given；　and　most　of　the　original　Libels；　in　different　parts　of　that　sad　Book　（compiled　by　Travenol's　Advocate；　a　very　sad　fellow　himself）：　see　also　　OEuvres　de　Voltaire；　　lxxiii。　355　n。；　385　n。；　IB。　i。　97；　BARBIER；　ii。　487。　All　in　a　very　jumbled；　dateless；　vague　and　incorrect　condition。＇　Olympian　Jove　in　distressed　circumstances　VERSUS　a　hungry　Dog　who　had　eaten　dirty　puddings。　Paris；　in　all　its　Saloons　and　Literary　Coffee…houses　（figure　the　ANTRE　DE　PROCOPE；　on　Publication　nights！）；　had；　monthly　or　so；　the　exquisite　malign　banquet；　and　grinned　over　the　Law　Pleadings：　what　Magazine　Serial　of　our　day　can　be　so　interesting　to　the　emptiest　mind！

〃Lasted；　I　find；　for　above　a　year。　From　Spring；　1746；　till　towards　Autumn；　1747：　Voltaire's　feelings　beingHaha；　so　exquisite；　all　the　while！Well；　reader；　I　can　judge　how　amusing　it　was　to　high　and　low。　And　yet　Phoebus　Apollo　going　about　as　mere　Cowherd　of　Admetus；　and　exposed　to　amuse　the　populace　by　his　duels　with　dogs　that　have　bitten　him？　It　is　certain　Voltaire　was　a　fool；　not　to　be　more　cautious　of　getting　into　gutter…quarrels；　not　to　have　a　thicker　skin；　in　fact。〃

PROCES…TRAVENOL　escorting　one's　Triumphal　Entry；　what　an　adjunct！　Always　so：　always　in　your　utmost　radiance　of　sunshine　a　shadow；　and　in　your　softest　outburst　of　Lydian　or　Spheral　symphonies　something　of　eating　Care！　Then　too；　in　the　Court…circle　itself；　〃is　Trajan　pleased；〃　or　are　all　things　well？　Readers　have　heard　of　that　〃TRAJAN　EST…IL　CONTENT？〃　It　occurred　Winter；　1745　（27th　November；　1745；　a　date　worth　marking）；　while　things　were　still　in　the　flush　of　early　hope。　That　evening；　our　TEMPLE　DE　LA　GLOIRE　（Temple　of　Glory）　had　just　been　acted　for　the　first　time；　in　honor　of　him　we　may　call　〃Trajan；〃　returning　from　a　〃Fontenoy　and　Seven　Cities　captured：〃　＇Seven　of　them；　or　even　eight　of　a　kind：　Tournay；　Ghent；　Bruges；　Nieuport；　Dendermond；　Ath；　Ostend；　and　nothing　lost　but　Cape　Breton　and　one's　Codfishery。＇

　　　　〃Reviens；　divin　Trajan；　vainqueur　doux　et　terrible；　　　　　　Le　monde　est　mon　rival；　tous　les　coeurs　sont　a　toi；　　　　　　Mais　est…il　un　coeur　plus　sensible；　　　　　　Et　qui　t'adore　plus　que　moi？〃　＇TEMPLE　DE　LA　GLOIRE；　Acte　iv。　（　OEuvres；　　xii。　328）。＇　　　　　〃Return；　divine　Trajan；　conqueror　sweet　and　terrible；　　　　　　The　world　is　my　rival；　all　hearts　are　thine；　　　　　　But　is　there　a　heart　more　loving；　　　　　　Or　that　adores　thee　more　than　I？〃

An　allegoric　Dramatic　Piece；　naturally　very　admirable　at　Versailles。　Issuing　radiant　from　Fall　of　the　Curtain；　Voltaire　had　　the　farther　honor　to　see　his　Majesty　pass　out；　Majesty　escorted　by　Richelieu；　one's　old　friend　in　a　sense：　〃Is　Trajan　pleased？〃　whispered　Voltaire　to　his　Richelieu；　overheard　by　Trajan；who　answered　in　words　nothing；　but　in　a　visible　glance　of　the　eyes　did　answer；　〃Impertinent　Lackey！〃Trajan　being　a　man　unready　with　speech；　and　disliking　trouble　with　the　people　whom　he　paid　for　keeping　his　boots　in　polish。　O　my　winged　Voltaire；　to　what　dunghill　Bubbly…Jocks　（COQS　D'INDE）　you　do　stoop　with　homage；　constrained　by　their　appearance　of　mere　size！

Evidently　no　perfect　footing　at　Court；　after　all。　And　then　the　Pompadour；　could　she；　Head…Butterfly　of　the　Universe；　be　an　anchor　that　would　hold；　if　gales　rose？　Rather　she　is　herself　somewhat　of　a　gale；　of　a　continual　liability　to　gales；　unstable　as　the　wind！　Voltaire　did　his　best　to　be　useful；　as　Court　Poet；　as　director　of　Private　Theatricals；above　all；　to　soothe；　to　flatter　Pompadour；　and　never　neglected　this　evident　duty。　But；　by　degrees；　the　envious　Lackey…people　made　cabals；　turned　the　Divine　Butterfly　into　comparative　indifference　for　Voltaire；　into　preference　of　a　Crebillon's　poor　faded　Pieces：　〃Suitabler　these；　Madame；　for　the　Private　Theatricals　of　a　Most　Christian　Majes